What does Puryear say is the most important factor distinguishing political trends in the U.S.? Do you agree or disagree?

What does the long life of the U.S. constitution prove, and how?

What evidence is there that the U.S. constitution has a class character?

What was the driving force of the British colonization of North America? Does this match what you learned in school or in the mass media? If not, then why do you think there is a mismatch between what happened and how it is presented through schools and the media?

What role did race, slavery, and the construction of whiteness play in the creation of the U.S.?

Think about Puryear’s discussion of the creation of whiteness and white supremacy. How is this relevant to our struggle today?

List some of the fundamental structures of the U.S. state. How did they emerge, and for what purposes?

For “Supplementary Explanations by Engels:”

How is the housing question dealt with under capitalism? How is it dealt with under socialism?

Next, divide up into groups. Each group will take a different set of articles (there are 27) in Chapter I of the Constitution.

Read and discuss your articles in your small group. What does the constitution prioritize? Can you find evidence of the constitution’s class character? How does it compare to what Puryear wrote about the U.S. constitution? (10-20 minutes)

Have one person in each small group report about your discussion to the whole class (2 minutes per presenter).